Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney sought to create doubts about rival Newt Gingrich among South Carolina conservatives on Saturday by criticizing his highly paid work for mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

From the four early-voting states, polls show that Gingrich leads in three of them, and is catching up in the fourth, according to The Hill. Gingrich leads in Iowa, South Carolina and Florida, according to the latest data, and is gaining momentum in New Hampshire.

Savage isn't shy about saying why Gingrich can't beat Obama, either. On his blog, he shows Gingrich ads with Nancy Pelosi, the right-wing's antithesis, mentions Gingrich's past infidelity, and notes that when Gingrich is on television he ca off badly compared to Obama and looks like nothing more than what he is: a fat, old, white man.

Five U.S. senators urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to reject Republican efforts to make approval of the Keystone XL pipeline part of a payroll tax cut bill expected to pass through Congress in the next two weeks.

In a new round of political horse trading, Senate Democrats are offering up a modified version of their payroll tax cut extension, one which pays for itself in a GOP-friendly manner, in order to increase the likelihood of its package.

The recent rise of Gingrich in the polls for the former speaker of the House of Representatives is drawing increased attention to the fact that his own views -- on issues including healthcare, the environment and medical marijuana -- haven't always been in line with those of most conservative Republicans. The inconsistencies have raised questions about Gingrich's true beliefs, as well as his staying power as the conservative of the moment in the Republican campaign. They also have given h...

Looking for the richest 1 percent? There's a gaggle roaming the Capitol Hill Rotunda. For all the focus on Wall Street's ills and the growing income disparity in America, a prominent target has been overlooked: Congress. Many lawmakers have enjoyed handsome levels of fiscal success.

Both parties' House leaders, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are among several lawmakers who profited from transactions that raised possible of conflicts of interest, according to a report on CBS' 60 Minutes.

Two new polls reveal Cain's slip in support since POLITICO and Bialek is driven by women voters, once the majority of those who supported him. A new video showing the GOP presidential hopeful making fun of Anita Hill (video enclosed) is sure to widen that gender gap, as prominent conservatives condemn Cain's reaction to the sexual harassment charges.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke out Monday against Republican Leader Eric Cantor's plan for the House to work just 109 days in 2012. Cantor defended his calendar, saying it allows members of Congress to do important work in their districts. But another key reason for the abbreviated schedule that Congress has followed for decades is the increasing importance of campaign finance, which leaves fundraising as top priority in an election year.